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On November 29, Rocky Anderson, former Mayor of Salt Lake City, and a man of many other accomplishments, said he will attempt to form a new political party and to seek that party’s nomination. Here is the wikipedia article on Anderson. The new party will probably be called the Justice Party, and will take political positions that will probably appeal more to Democrats and progressives than to other kinds of voters. See this story about Anderson’s announcement.

Anderson has been a close friend of Mitt Romney, according to this news story from earlier in the month. UPDATE: here is another story.

When I went to the article, I assumed he was starting a state party, but no, the article says he’s running for President. He’d have to link up to the Greens or AE for ballot access. Hard to see how he plans on doing this on his own. I’d be interested to see a website for this effort with some explanation.

Deran Says hits the “nail on the head.” The label Progressive is a gold mine, and it baffles me that no serious national group since 1948 (since 1952 – if you include the dying gasps of that Progressive Party) has operated under that broad-based and generic label. Instead, using names like “Natural Law” or “Green” either scare voters or narrows appeal. What were the founders and advocates of these party names thinking?

Duran, maybe he has enough sense to know that Progressive has a specific meaning, and that he would have to join the Progressive Party to form a Utah Progressive Party. I have not heard anything from George Strauss or Morgan Daybell saying he has contacted them.

My latest book, Resurrecting Democracy- A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party, published by The Editing Company, describes why a third party is needed, how it can be formed and made to prosper. My last book, Shock Therapy for the American Health Care System, Praeger Press, was about cost effective health care reform that would improve quality. I’d be happy to discuss the formation of a centrist third party with anyone who was interested.robalevine@aol.com
More information about me and the books can be obtained at my website-http://www.robertlevinebooks.com
Can be purchased on Amazon.

I heard Rocky Anderson state some of his beliefs and ideas today. I would vote for him in a Nw York minute as I am a progressive democrat. He is quite presentable and we are all looking for a new name, fresh face, bright ideas. He is my man.
One year is not much time to organize. Maybe he is a rich Mormon.

The Salt Lake Tribune article, which is the basis for the original post, mentions Kevin Zeese, Margaret Flowers, and John Anderson as being involved in discussions around Rocky Anderson’s candidacy. Zeese and John Anderson have worked with Nader in the past.

If Anderson were to contest the Green Party primary process this year, it would make for a competitive process, draw some attention to the GP and possibly help ballot access efforts. The resources it would take to get on the ballot in the 18 jurisdictions where the GP already has ballot access would be better put into campaigning.

I would not want to see another divided Progressive effort in 2012. I’m thinking particularly of the effect on the local level where activists who work together on other efforts would be working at cross purposes in the Presidential election. People might still get on well, but the overlapping effort would reduce the importance the Presidential campaign – reducing its value for local organizing.

2012 really should be an organizing campaign. To that end, we can work toward integration and realignment: the decentralization of the Greens (which actually works well with the local Occupation) married to the NGO model of the Nader campaigns.

I longed for this to happen–a choice for real progressives in the wake of almost complete betrayal by Obama. I support Rocky Anderson for president and only hope I see his name on the ballot in Texas. I will not under any circumstances vote for Obama again and it goes without saying I will not vote for Repug nominee. We need a third party that represents truly progressive policies to break the strangle hold on American politics by rich corporations and people (there is a difference). Now is the time!

Anderson is a great prospect. But progressives or third party supporters need more than just a single individual announcing and hitting the trail. There’s a well known Texas attorney, James Harrington, who has somewhat similar credentials to Anderson’s, although no electoral experience that I know of. (Heard of him, Jim Simons?) A steering committee, which could be associated by name with the Justice Party or not, should be formed to convince credible prospects like Anderson and Harrington (but not just attorneys, and not just Anglos, and not just men) to at least declare their interest publicly, and compete with each other for support in well-publicized town halls, to allow identifying progressive candidates who stand the best chance to get a following. This could start in Salt Lake City or Austin, with four or five persons interested in running. The candidates would be allowed to compete for support among progressives present at the meeting. If someone gets an enthusiastic response, it could spark similar meetings elsewhere. The Green Party certainly should be invited to put someone forward. (I’ve never heard of any Green Party presidential candidate.)

There are two announced candidates for the Green Party nomination for President: Jill Stein and Kent Mesplay. Anderson would make a good candidate for the party to endorse, from what I can see and I’d like him to get into the Green race as well.

Stein is a Boston physician and has run for office as a Green several times.

I’ve written an open letter to Rock Anderson and created a Draft Rocky Anderson To Run As A Green For President In 2012.

I really want to impress on my fellow Greens just how big a deal this is. I don’t want to repeat what I wrote in my letter but Rocky Anderson really would be a PERFECT candidate for us AND the prospect of having essentially two Greens in the race would be disastrous. I hope everyone joins the page and puts pressure on him to join the Green Party.

Scott West and Ben Schattenburg are correct to encourage Rocky to join and work inside the Green Party.

It’s the positive solution.

Our Independent Green state party joins in encouraging Rocky Anderson to join the Green Party with all his supporters.

The Green Party is the sensible path for ballot access. By joining and working with the Green Party, Mr Anderson could focus on 5 to 10 difficult ballot access states, and help lead Green Party petition drives there.

Mr. Anderson would strengthen the Green Party presidential nomination contest.

For Rocky Anderson and the Green Party it is a win, win.

Anderson would make a fine Green Party presidential or vice presidential nominee.